The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington rose 0.4 percent in April and May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that a 6.1-percent increase in energy costs was the biggest factor in the two-month rise, though a 0.8-percent rise in food prices also contributed. In contrast, the index for all items less food and energy dipped 0.2 percent in April and May. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, short-term changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

During the year ended in May 2019, the all items CPI-U rose 1.5 percent, the slowest rate of annual increase since the year ended in July 2016. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 1.6 percent during the latest year, its slowest rate of increase since the year ended in July 2015. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.8 percent in April and May, after increasing 1.1 percent in February and March. Both sub-components contributed to the current bimonthly increase as prices for food away from home increased 0.9 percent and prices for food at home rose 0.7 percent.

During the 12 months ended in May 2019, total food prices were up 2.5 percent, the fastest annual rise since November 2014. The gain reflected differing rates of increase among the sub-components. Prices for food away from home climbed 5.1 percent over the year, while the index for food at home (grocery prices) was essentially unchanged over the year (+0.1 percent).

Energy

Energy costs rose 6.1 percent in April and May, after climbing 11.0 percent in February and March. The current energy advance was almost entirely the result of an 11.9-percent increase in motor fuel costs, though higher electricity prices, up 0.3 percent, also made a small contribution. Partially offsetting these increases, prices for natural gas fell 9.5 percent in April and May.

Despite the bimonthly increase, the energy index fell 1.1 percent during the year ended in May 2019. The annual decline was the result of lower prices for both natural gas and motor fuel, down 19.5 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively. In contrast, electricity prices rose 7.2 percent during the previous 12 months.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy dipped 0.2 percent in April and May, after rising 0.3 percent in February and March. A number of indexes registered decreases in the latest period, but the leading factors were lower prices for household furnishings and operations (-3.9 percent), new and used motor vehicles (-1.4 percent), and recreation (-0.7 percent); prices also declined for lodging away from home. Slowing the overall rate of decrease, several categories registered price increases during the bimonthly period. In particular, prices rose for owners’ equivalent rent of primary residence (0.4 percent), rent of primary residence (0.7 percent), and public transportation.

From May 2018 to May 2019, the index for all items less food and energy rose 1.6 percent. Higher shelter costs, up 1.9 percent, were responsible for the largest share of the annual rise, but price increases for medical care (3.4 percent) and other goods and services (4.1 percent) were also large contributors.

The July 2019 Consumer Price Index for All Items for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is scheduled to be released Tuesday, August 13, 2019.

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is published bi-monthly. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details, see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas, Core Based Statistical Area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise Counties.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods,
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from -
	Mar. 2019	Apr. 2019	May 2019	May 2018	Mar. 2019	Apr. 2019
All items	236.495	-	237.485	1.5	0.4	-
All items (1967 = 100)	741.872	-	744.978
Food and beverages	255.969	-	257.955	2.5	0.8	-
Food	250.559	-	252.480	2.5	0.8	-
Food at home	210.985	211.048	212.370	0.1	0.7	0.6
Cereals and bakery products	266.188	-	263.247	4.4	-1.1	-
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	239.060	-	243.236	-0.1	1.7	-
Dairy and related products	190.796	-	191.188	-4.1	0.2	-
Fruits and vegetables	195.353	-	192.069	-4.5	-1.7	-
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)	172.705	-	182.188	2.6	5.5	-
Other food at home	200.436	-	200.702	1.9	0.1	-
Food away from home	310.134	-	312.850	5.1	0.9	-
Alcoholic beverages	318.749	-	321.877	0.9	1.0	-
Housing	228.979	-	228.109	1.6	-0.4	-
Shelter	254.399	254.976	254.749	1.9	0.1	-0.1
Rent of primary residence	272.007	272.900	273.876	3.0	0.7	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)	273.076	273.506	274.250	2.7	0.4	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)	273.076	273.506	274.250	2.7	0.4	0.3
Fuels and utilities	243.863	-	242.316	4.3	-0.6	-
Household energy	216.096	214.010	214.057	3.2	-0.9	0.0
Energy services	212.468	210.375	210.442	3.2	-1.0	0.0
Electricity	205.703	205.703	206.343	7.2	0.3	0.3
Utility (piped) gas service	185.960	171.772	168.327	-19.5	-9.5	-2.0
Household furnishings and operations	123.234	-	118.406	-3.0	-3.9	-
Apparel	108.602	-	109.881	0.3	1.2	-
Transportation	209.623	-	215.174	-0.8	2.6	-
Private transportation	213.095	-	218.007	-1.0	2.3	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)	110.167	-	108.645	0.4	-1.4	-
New vehicles(1)	210.684	-	208.836	2.1	-0.9	-
Used cars and trucks(1)	330.419	-	326.043	-0.1	-1.3	-
Motor fuel	222.267	248.525	248.740	-4.0	11.9	0.1
Gasoline (all types)	220.797	247.297	247.453	-4.1	12.1	0.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)	211.877	237.925	237.949	-4.2	12.3	0.0
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	235.287	261.111	260.639	-4.2	10.8	-0.2
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)	240.710	263.893	265.511	-3.1	10.3	0.6
Motor vehicle insurance(1)	790.391	-	783.304	-3.3	-0.9	-
Medical care	450.507	-	451.533	3.4	0.2	-
Recreation(3)	124.547	-	123.646	5.9	-0.7	-
Education and communication(3)	131.758	-	131.659	-2.4	-0.1	-
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(1)	1,264.443	-	1,264.443	2.1	0.0	-
Other goods and services	411.146	-	414.747	4.1	0.9	-
Commodity and service group
Commodities	175.825	-	178.699	0.7	1.6	-
Commodities less food and beverages	139.916	-	142.850	-0.2	2.1	-
Nondurables less food and beverages	173.492	-	180.944	-0.7	4.3	-
Durables	111.243	-	110.667	0.5	-0.5	-
Services	295.644	-	294.842	1.9	-0.3	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter	228.790	-	230.085	1.3	0.6	-
All items less medical care	226.110	-	227.097	1.3	0.4	-
Commodities less food	144.699	-	147.698	-0.2	2.1	-
Nondurables	211.118	-	216.483	0.8	2.5	-
Nondurables less food	180.566	-	188.079	-0.7	4.2	-
Services less rent of shelter(2)	352.029	-	349.421	1.9	-0.7	-
Services less medical care services	279.733	-	278.688	1.6	-0.4	-
Energy	220.599	234.016	234.155	-1.1	6.1	0.1
All items less energy	242.060	-	241.921	1.7	-0.1	-
All items less food and energy	240.444	-	240.006	1.6	-0.2	-
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a February 1978=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (5) Index on a December 1993=100.
- Data not available.